Tammy | Genuine Portrait Series
Hey Friends, it's been a little while since I posted a Genuine Portrait Series session here!! But it just so happens to be Volerra's second birthday this week (hooray)!! So, I thought there was probably no better time to share some photos of the incredible lady then now.Meet Tammy. Tammy hand-makes gorgeous jewellery which is as easy on the eyes as it is on the soul . Her attention to design and love of nature is evident in every single piece. You should really just do your lovely free-spirit a favor and head over to her website (or instagram feed). I'm serious, just looking at her jewelry will leave you with that good sorta feeling. You know the kind I'm talking about? Hard to miss, but hard to describe. 
I asked Tammy if she wouldn't mind sharing a little bit more about herself and Volerra, so without further ado, here she is:
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Summer Mini Session Style Guide | Alberta Lifestyle Photographer
Summer portrait season is in full swing, and I am sooo excited! I know it can sometimes be a bit overwhelming to decide how dress for your session. So I thought I would post a little inspiration to help ya out. If you ever have any worries or concerns about what to wear for your photo session please feel free to let me know!! I would absolutely love to help you style it to perfection.P.S. In case you missed it! I am hosting mini-sessions for individuals, couples and families this July in DRUMHELLER! It's going to be so incredible and I have two sessions left!! Click HERE to find out more.
Travelling with Kids | Maui Family Vacation
We’ve made a lot of little mistakes while travelling with the girls. But I feel like this time we got a whole lot right! And I thought I would share a little about what has worked well for us just in case it might help you (and to remind myself for next time!)So, first and foremost, I always head into a trip with the mindset that travelling with kids is going to be an adventure. Maybe not the type where you go cliff-jumping or climb a mountain, but literally ANYTHING can happen and you are just going to have roll with the punches and laugh off all the crazy. Ohh and that time change… give it a day or two, sleep will come haha.Lol so have I sold you yet? But honestly, nothing quite compares to the trips we have taken as family, they are beyond special.This list is pretty specific to Maui but would be useful for any hot destination! So here we go! Here are some of things that have worked best for us: 1. PACKING. Pack light. If you are lucky enough to be travelling to a warm destination like we were. You honestly are not going to need a lot! Bring things you can mix and match (and don't bother bringing those jeans, you are so not going to wear them! It's 27 degrees every single day!). And when you are lugging two carseats and stroller through the airport, you really don't want to have a whole bunch of bags as well.AND if you pack light, it means you can rent that mustang convertible. Not sure if there is anything better than driving along the ocean with the top down (and the kids napping in the backseat). Not to mention all the people waiting at the airport will cheer you on as you fit those carseats and stroller in. Haha, no joke. 2. BOOK A PLACE WITH A KITCHEN AND WASHER/DRYER! I know it's a vacation. But my kids are always hungry. And you know whats less fun then making a few meals.... dragging tired kids to a restaurant three times a day. (hard-pass on that one!) And the best part is, you can save so much money and time doing it this way. When we travel to Maui, we stop at Costco right after picking up our rental car. It is super close to the airport so even though we are a bit tired from the trip its totally worth the effort. We have booked through VRBO or AirBNB and have no complaints! (I find the reviews oh so helpful)And I don't know about you guys, but my kids will take any opportunity to get filthy lol. The washer and dryer was my sanity. And as much as I hate laundry at home, I really didn't mind throwing a load in every couple days. It meant we always had fresh bathing suits and made packing light super easy! 3. THE FLIGHT. From Edmonton to Kahalui it is 7 hours and 50 minutes. That is a very long time for a 2 year old and 4 year old. If you are travelling with young ones it can get a little rough at times (like anytime the seatbelt sign is on haha). I've found packing lots of non-sugary snacks (gotta keep that sugar0-high at bay) and filling up the Ipad with books, shows and games has been the easiest and lightest way to travel with this age. We usually let them pick a toy and a coloring book to bring as well. Our girls surprise us every time we fly with how capable they are. PS. Depriving them of any TV the week or two before means they will be glued to that sucker. P.P.S. Don't forget some fruit snacks for the descent. Helps their little ears pop! Oh and we have always flown WestJet and have found the staff is so good with kids! 4. GET FASTBREAK. Seriously, just do it. We have used Budget for our rental car every time. Fastbreak is FREE (you just have to sign-up ahead of time) and means you get to skip the long line-up! After a long flight, the last thing you want do is wait an hour with all your luggage in 27 degree heat to get your rental car. Been there, done that!
5.
SIT BACK AND RELAX
. My biggest suggestion for enjoying your family vacay is to not get too carried away with planning (or worse yet, expecting things to go as planned lol). Leave lots of room to just jump in the pool or chill by the beach. We usually book only one or two things and then play the rest of the trip by ear. That way if the girls fall asleep in the stroller on a morning walk, we can just grab a beer and sit by the beach, instead of worrying about the next thing on the schedule. Or if someone is feeling the jet lag we can take the day slow, think naps and hanging our poolside. For us this slow pace, is absolutely perfect. We also often rent paddle boards and bring snorkels so that we can head into the ocean whenever possible. So easy when it's only a short walk away.
6. BABY BEACH IN LAHAINA. There are an endless amount of stunning beaches to explore on Maui. And we often visit a few different ones. But with our brave little water babies, the baby beach in Lahaina is absolutely perfect!! We pack a cooler of food and stay the whole day!
Pros: NO waves, lots of shade, occasional glimpse of little fish in the crystal clear water, close to where we we were staying, tons of restaurants and shops in town
Cons: It can be hard to find if you've never been, can be hard to find parking, it's not perfectly cleaned up like the beaches outside the resorts.
SO there you have it! A few of the things that make our trip all the more enjoyable. Not that you can really have a bad time on Maui. But take this as a grain of salt. I am no expert; just a Mama hoping to save you from airplane meltdown =P
Warmly,KarmenP.S. If you would like hear more about some our favourite spots on Maui, let me know! I'd be happy to spotlight a some favs in detail.P.P.S. I am so stoked to shoot the above images for THE SKINNY again this year. The Skinny is a local YEG shop and they carry some fantastic childrens and women's wear! We basically wore them all on repeat for the whole trip!! (thanks to that washer and dryer haha)
Tami and Tommy | Badland Engagement Photography
You guys! I just love exploring new locations with my clients. Like, I am pretty sure there is NOTHING better. Do you have a location that you would just loooove to have photo sessions at?! Let me know below!And huge shoutout to Tami and Tommy, thanks so much for hanging out with me in Drumheller!! I seriously cannot wait to photograph your BIG DAY! It's gonna be amazing! <3 P.S. In case you missed it, I am currently booking Badland Mini Sessions on July 28th and 29th!!! Obviously so stoked!! More details HERE.
Outdoor Boudoir Marathon | Central Alberta Lifestyle Photographer
Calling all you adventurous and free-spirited souls!! ♥♥I am so excited to be hosting my first OUTDOOR BOUDOIR MARATHON in over 4 years! After some searching I have finally found the perfectly secluded meadow and forest to shoot in!!These sessions are so unique and absolutely stunning. I shoot in natural light and work with you to find natural poses where you feel comfortable in front of the camera. Basically it is my goal to capture beautiful, empowered and real moments.Packages are $395 and include:// pampering by my fantastic hair + makeup tem// delicious wine from Lacombe Wine Girl (Chateau Wine & Spirits)// 60 minute coached lifestyle photography session with Karmen// private online gallery// 6 stunning fine-art 5x7 prints in a beautitful clutch// print, digital and album options available a la carte// pre-shoot consult available by request.We love women of all shapes, sizes and colours.Limited availabilty.Want to book? Any questions?! Feel free to comment below or email me at karmen@kmeyerphotography.com. I am also posting regularly in the Facebook Event, check it out for lot's more info and pictures. I can't wait to hear from you!!
Badlands Mini Session | Alberta Lifestyle Photographer
Guys it is happening! And I am so darn excited. Sessions will take place on July 28 + 29 and they are open to pretty much anyone! So if you have been wanting a Style Session, Maternity Session, Family Session, Boudoir Session or Couples session just shoot me an email or comment below! Session are limited ♥
MINI SESSION PACKAGE $175:30 minute coached photo session in the Drumheller Badlands with Karmenprivate online viewing gallery5 beautiful photos digitally delivered
P.S. My portrait sessions normally start at $350, so grab this awesome deal while you can ♥
P.P.S. Many of you may have noticed that I have no longer been shooting family sessions. BUT I will be taking family sessions for these badland minis!
Karlee Prins | Genuine Portait Series
Hi Friends!! I am so excited to share another set of images from Genuine Portrait Series! I would like you to meet Karlee Prins. Karlee is one of those women who light up the room with her kindness and confidence. She is a HARD-working Mama of 4 who left her psychiatric nursing career to become an entrepreneur and she is absolutely crushing it, if I do say so myself!! If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook you probably already know, but Karlee is also the talented Make-up artist for all of my Boudoir Marathons!! I am honestly so glad to have her on our team. If Karlee had a superpower, it would probably be making others feel absolutely amazing!!I asked Karlee if she wouldn't mind sharing a little about herself, so here she is!"When a women is deemed to be confident its perceived that she must be conceited, or self-centered! Our society in general has made a confident women seen this way! And because of this, we choose to dim our lights, to make others feel more comfortable.Let me tell you what gaining more confidence has done for me....I used to be the type that would walk into a room and feel like people were judging me, were talking about me, or didn't want me to be around me. In fact I felt nervous and would stutter more. I used to look in the mirror and feel that without makeup, I wasn't beautiful. I used to feel that my dress size reflected me as a person, and that I had to fit a certain mould to be beautiful. You see I, like so many women, cared more what others thought than what I believed or thought of myself. It wasn't until I began on my journey with Younique that I realized you can walk into a room full of women you have never met, and not feel like you're being judged. And in fact, leave that room with life long friendships. I realized that pouring more into myself through personal development and surrounding myself with women who are constantly lifting you up, has been the biggest contributor to me finally realizing I'm worthy. I'm enough. I can walk into a room now and not care if people are judging or talking about me. Why? Cause I'm confident in who I am and know I can't control what other people's perceptions are! It doesn't bother me like it used to. It has made me love myself more, and genuinely have a sense of peace inside me. And that sense of peace is like no other! Can you honestly say you're happy? I can!So the next time you see a confident women, instead of being intimidated by her, be inspired. Be inspired to find yourself enough that you can truly say you are content with who you are and who you were created to be! My goal is to help as many women as possible know how amazing they are, how WORTHY they are, despite their looks or pant size! My goal is for my kids to know they can literally do anything they put their minds to, to follow what their hearts are telling them, and to NEVER dim their light to make someone else feel more comfortable! We each have a path, and we each have many gifts and talents! My hope is that you can be confident enough to realize your own, to embrace who you are, and let you light shine so bright the world will have to wear sunglasses!Be Confident. Be You! Cause you're amazing! And my gosh girl, you are so so WORTH IT!!"
If you guys want to chat more with this fantastic chick, find her on Facebook! You can also check out her website, www.youniquebykarlee.com. Thanks so much for hanging out guys!! Have a great week!!!Warmly,Karmen